World of Chances
by ErikaMarie
Summary: This is a fanfiction of the characters, Diane Miller & Ric Lansing, from General Hospital. Not sure how long it will be but enjoy and comment. :
1. Chapter 1

Diane woke up exactly at seven a.m. She always woke up exactly at seven. Not a minute sooner or later. She groaned softly, pulling the covers over her face. She wasn't ready to face her day. She had back to back cases at the courthouse but going to work gave her an excuse. An excuse not to home. After a few minutes of lying in bed, Diane finally got to her feet and walked over to the closet. She pulled out her dress pants, her suit jacket and a long sleeve to go under it. Diane tossed all three items on her bed before heading into the bathroom to take a shower. She shed all of her clothes and looked herself in the mirror for a few moments. She rubbed the bruises that finally were beginning to heal. She stepped into the hot shower, letting the hot water soak her bruises. After her showe, Diane put her makeup on, covering the lines under her eyes. Her mind was everywhere so she wasn't getting much sleep. After getting dressed, she grabbed her case files from the living room where she spotted a note from her husband.

_Diane,  
Don't forget we have dinner reservations tonight at 8pm.  
Michael._

Diane sighed as she read the note. Michael would probably drone on and on about his work, which honestly, Diane had no interest in. Michael worked more than Diane did, which said something about their relationship. Diane did her best to try and push it to the back of her mind. She arrived at the courthouse a bit early and her mind was in its' own world. Her eyes were looking down at a case file as she walked and before she knew it, she had physical contact with another human being and watched as her case files fell to the floor. Diane let out a soft groan, having a feeling this day was going to be just one of those days where everything and anything would go wrong.

"You're not happy to see me." Ric Lansing smiled at her as he knelt down to help her pick up the files she had dropped.

She smiled a little bit. It was rare for her to smile but when she did, she was beautiful. Ric smirked as he got her to smile because even he knew getting Diane Miller to smile was a very rare occurrence.

"I'm sorry, it's been a bad morning and I haven't even stepped into the courtroom yet." She told him. "If I've already almost plowed you down in the hallway, I guess that is an indication of how horrible the rest of my day is going to be." She said.

"You haven't changed one bit, Diane." Ric told her. He knew her to be hardass, and that she was.

"If your court record is still the same as when you left, I guess you haven't changed either." She teased him slightly. They had a way of getting on each others' nerves.

He smirked a little bit. "Very funny, Diane. Very funny."

"So, what case are you trying today?" Ric asked her. If there was one thing Ric knew about Diane, it was that she was a damn good attorney. He wouldn't admit that to her directly but he knew.

"Thompson vs. State of New York." She told Ric.

"I assume you're defending, right?" Ric asked her.

"I am the best defense attorney this town has." Diane informed him with a confident smile.

"Well, sorry to break it to you, but your up against the best prosecution lawyer this town has." He told her with the same smile.

"Oh, you must mean that sorry excuse of a prosecutor Claire Wal…" Diane starts but stops because she knew he was talking about himself.

"God no. My nightmares have come true." She teased him gently.

"You mean your fantasies, Diane." Ric smirked at her. He was arrogant and conceited but he liked getting to her.

"Oh shut up. You won't be tooting your own horn when I wipe the floor with you today." She said.

"We'll see about that Miss Miller." Ric told her as they sat down on a bench in the hallway.

"So, tell me, are you back in town for good now?" Diane asked, knowing he had been gone for some time to get his life back on track after his bastard of a father, Trevor Lansing, came and disrupted it.

"That's what it looks like." Ric told her and when he glanced down, he spotted a ring.

"Diane, don't tell me, you of all people. Especially you, since you made it your life duty to swear off all men." He smirked. At one time, Ric tried making passes at Diane but she wouldn't have any of that.

"I know, I know. It happened. We've been married for a year now." Diane said, not really wanting to talk about Michael because work was the only place where she could forget about him.  
"So, who is your dashing husband? And if you say Max Giambetti you should lose your lawyer license because that would be the worst mistake you could make." He smiled at her. At one time Diane had been with Max, and that was the time when Ric was trying to see Diane on a personal level and she wasn't having it.

"He wasn't even that bad, Ric. You were just jealous." She smiled and nudged his shoulder.

Maybe I was. He thought to himself but just laughed softly.

"If you must know my husband is Michael and…" Diane said but she was interrupted by the bailiffs to let her and Ric know that they could go into the courtroom.

"Let the best one win." Ric said as he offered his hand to her to help her up but also to shake hands.

She took his hand to shake but also to help her to her feet.

"Which will be me." They both said simultaneously.

Diane laughed softly before heading inside the courtroom. Maybe the day wouldn't be so bad after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Diane couldn't remember the last time she was so passionate about a case. She gave the best opening and closing arguments, and she delivered them as if her life depended on them. During cross examination, every other word she said was interrupted by Ric Lansing's "objection". On occasion, she shot him a look but she was more focused on her case. She wanted to up one on him but she also wanted to demonstrate that she was just as badass in the courtroom as he was. The judge called for a recess and Ric approached Diane's bench.

"Having difficulty keeping up with me, counselor?" He asked her as he rested his hands on the defense desk.

"Oh, believe me, it's a walk in the park for me." She said as she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Did you forget what you're up against?" Diane smirked at Ric.

They always brought out each others best in the courtroom. Diane would never admit it but Ric challenged her. Ric forced her to be on her game all of the time. And Ric knew the same about Diane. She was one of the best, if not the best attorneys he had ever faced. She was fierce and she was good.

"I could ask the very same question about you, Miss Miller." He smirked at her.

The judge soon called the court back into session and Ric took his place at the prosecution table.

The case was simple and Diane knew it was an easy win. She didn't want to seem over confident but she knew. And she enjoyed this case much more because she would have upped one on Ric Lansing. Diane took her wins very seriously but she savored them much more when she was up against Ric Lansing because wins against Ric Lansing were far from easy. She actually had to work for her wins against him.

After the courtroom emptied, Diane walked over to him and smiled.

"Save it, Diane. You played this one well." He told her.

"Is that any way to speak to a woman?" Diane asked, half smirking. "I was going to say we both played well today." She told him.

"Has marriage life mellowed you out because I do not remember you being this modest about your wins." Ric told her.

"Maybe since you've been gone I haven't had to work so hard..and maybe I enjoy a challenge." She said.

"Oh, so are you saying you've missed me?" Ric asked her.

"Now I wouldn't go that far, Mr. Egotistical." She smirked.

"Do you have many more cases to try today?" He asked her.

"Can you say three more?" Diane said with a sigh.

"You've been keeping busy, haven't you?" He asked.

"Well, Sonny hasn't been getting into much trouble lately and you know, I enjoy being in the courtroom. It's where I feel my strongest..like I can handle anything and everything." She told him.

"When's your next case?" He asked her.

"Not for another two hours." She told him.

"How about we head downstairs to grab some lunch? I have an hour to spare before I try my next one." He suggested.

"And I promise I won't rub in how amazing I was today." Diane smirked as they headed for the café.

Once they got down there, they grabbed a table and sat across from each other. The thing about Diane and Ric was they were fierce competitors. They were both damn good lawyers, and they both knew it. And neither of them backed down from a challenge.

"So, tell me, what brings you back to Port Charles?" Diane asked him.

"LA wasn't doing it for me. I thought it'd be easier to get into a new environment but it wasn't. And their lawyers aren't as good as you are." He smirked at her.

"Oh, please. Your charm does not work on me. Remember, I'm a married gal." She said, lifting up her hand and showing her ring.

"Oh yes, let's talk about that." He smirked.

"I can clearly remember you were against marriage, men..everything. If my memory serves me correctly, you were all about your work." Ric said.

"Maybe I was just against egotistical lawyers who thought they were gods gift to women." She said back, giving him a smirk as well.  
"Touche, Ms. Miller. And for the record, maybe I was just captivated by your beauty." He said to her.

She couldn't help but smile. She couldn't remember the last time she honestly smiled. Michael..well, Michael was just Michael and they were in a loveless marriage.

"Oh wow, I got sassy and fierce Diane Miller to smile. That doesn't happen often." He said to her with a soft grin.

"And it's the last time it will happen in your presence."

He put his hand over his heart. "Oh, you wound me Diane." She smiled back at her.

"I try, I try." She said with her own soft smile.

Ric glanced down at his watch and realized the time. "I'm sorry, Diane but my next case starts in 10 minutes. I have Judge Flaherty residing and you know how he is." He said.

"Oh believe me, I know." She said.

He picked up his coat and draped it over his arm. "It was really nice catching up with you..we'll have to do it again soon."

"Sometime in the future." She said with a smile.

"Take care." He said to her before he headed back upstairs for his next case.

She sat there and finished her salad, thinking about the days' events but mainly about Ric. For someone she used to hate, she could actually tolerate him. And he was actually able to make her smile and most men couldn't. Michael had been lacking in that department lately and she dreaded the fact that her day would soon be over and she would have to sit through dinner with Michael.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Diane finished up her lunch and she headed back upstairs to try her next two cases. She won one of them, and lost the other. Some fancy out of town prosecutor had come into prosecute, while Diane defended and Diane ended up losing. The one thing Diane hated more than anything was when lawyers walked into the courtroom and believed that the courtroom was theirs. Diane did that on occasion but she worked for it. After trying three cases, Diane was exhausted and felt she would collapse if she didn't rest. She realized she would barely have any time to get ready for her dinner with Michael. She would have much rathered to go home and relax the evening. At least that way she could catch up on the sleep she had been missing. After sitting in New York traffic for almost an hour, Diane finally made it back to the penthouse. She changed into one of her favorite black dresses. It was chic and sexy, all rolled into one. After fixing her hair and makeup again, she headed back out and drove over to the Metro Court.

Ric was still in the back of her mind. Ric had always been an egotistical ass but it seemed as if he had changed. He was still egotistical in the courtroom but there was something about him that Diane liked, more so than before.

Diane heard the elevator doors ding and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She opened her eyes as the doors opened and she stepped out. She saw Michael already there. She was hoping she would have a few minutes to herself but obviously not. She approached his table and he did not look happy, but then again, it was rare when he was happy.

"Hello sweetheart." Diane said as she kissed his cheek before sitting down.

"You're late." He said simply.

"Traffic." She said as she took a sip of water. She prayed he wouldn't start a fight tonight, at least not here.

"How was your day?" She asked.

"It's work." He said to her.

How the hell did he expect us to get through dinner if he in such a foul mood, Diane thought to herself and didn't say anything.

To her surprise, Ric had just gotten off the elevators. He had come to the Metro Court to get a drink and possibly a meal. He spotted Diane and he couldn't but help stare at her for a moment. He was used to seeing her in her business suits but seeing her in a sexy black dress..it was new to him. And he couldn't help but let his eyes wander over her body. She seemed to be busy with someone, possibly her husband, so Ric just went over to the bar and ordered a drink.

"Michael, there is a lawyer conference coming up next week and the firm needs a couple of representatives to fly down to Philadelphia for a couple of days." Diane told her husband.

"I do believe there are other lawyers at firm, why is there a need for you to go?" He said, almost in a harsh tone.

"Because I'm good at what I do." She said. This wasn't her being egotistical or over confident in herself. She was good at what she did, there was no arguing that.

"Or so you say." Michael said to her. Michael had a tendency to never support her work.

"Why can't you be happy for me, for Christ sake's, Michael." Diane said. She had just about had it with him not supporting her work. Diane loved her work. She felt amazing when she was in the courtroom. It made her feel like nothing else could.

"No need to get your panties all in a twist, dear." He said, almost in a conecending tone.

Diane stood up, sick of his games. He was supposed to love her and support her and he couldn't support her work. He could not even grasp how much it meant to her.

"Where do you think you're going?" He said, standing up and grabbing her arm roughly.

"Let go of me, Michael." She said in a low, but urgent tone.

Ric heard what seemed to be an argument and he turned his head to see Diane standing up with her husband. Even though he was at the bar, he could hear what was being said. Ric left his drink at the bar and walked over to the table where Michael and Diane were. As he approached them, he heard Michael say something to Diane and he didn't appreciate it.

"You know how I feel about that dress. It's not flattering, Diane." He said harshly.

Once Ric reached the table, he saw Michael's hand still on Diane.

"The lady told you to let go." Ric said in a serious tone.

"And who the hell would you be?" Michael said, glaring at Ric, yet his hand was still on Diane's arm.

"A good friend of Diane's." Ric said.

Ric and Diane were colleagues and usually Diane wouldn't associate herself and Ric being friends but since he had come back in town, she was starting to see him more as her friend.

"I don't want to have to tell you again to let go of her." Ric said to Michael a bit harsher now.

Michael dropped Diane's arm roughly.

"You're excused." Michael said to Ric.

"Actually I'm not." Ric retorted back.

Diane needed a drink. She almost wished Ric had come over.

Ric came over to Diane and picked up her purse. "Let's take a walk." He said softly to her.

"Where are you taking my wife?" Michael said a bit more angrily now.

"Don't you worry. I'll make sure she gets home." Ric told him as he put his arm around Diane and they headed for the elevator.

They entered the elevator and the doors closed once they were in. Diane was at a loss for words. She was partially embarrassed that Ric had seen that. Usually fights between her and Michael happened at home but he had been out of line.

Ric still had an arm around the small of her waist. "Want to talk?" He asked softly. He'd understand if she didn't but he'd offer. He wanted to know what just happened, at least the back story of it.

Instead of saying anything, Diane just turned towards his chest and she felt herself crying. Part of it was because of the things Michael had said to her but the other was that Ric had seen it all happen.

Ric heard her crying softly and he put his hand to her back and rubbed it softly. "Shh..It's okay. You're okay." He whispered in her ear.

They heard the elevator doors ding once again and they had reached the floor in which Ric was renting out a suite until he found an apartment. He kept an arm around her as they walked down the hall to his suite. Diane wiped her eyes but that was useless because even though she tried to wipe them, more formed.

"I hate to see beautiful women cry." He whispered to her as they went inside. He grabbed some tissues and put them in her hand. She went in front of the mirror and wiped the remainder of her tears. Ric had remembered she loved red wine so Ric had poured her and himself a glass. He put them both on the table and walked back over to her.

"Better?" He asked her softly.

She breathed softly and nodded. He noticed she had a bit of running makeup on her cheeks. He took his thumb and brushed it against her cheek, getting the makeup stains away from her face.

"I have some wine over there, come on." He said, taking her hand in his and leading her over to the couch.

She sat down on the couch and undid the straps of her heels. She had been on her feet all day at the courthouse and then her disaster dinner with Michael.

"Thank you." She said as she took the wine and took a sip before putting it down.

"No need to thank me, Di."

"Actually I do. Thank you for back there."

"You didn't deserve that." He told her, sincerely.

"He's usually not like that." Diane lied.

'Even so, he had no right to talk to you like that or put his hands on you." Ric told her.

"I'm never going to be able to repay you for tonight." She said.

"There is no need to repay me, Di. I was tempted to hit him for putting his hands on you and talking that way to you but I doubt you would want to see your favorite lawyer thrown in jail on assault." Ric said with a soft smile, hoping to get her to smile.

"Then your favorite lawyer would have just had to come down and bail you out." She said.

"Oh, you mean Claire Walsh?" Ric joked with her.

Diane hit him in the chest, teasingly. "We'll see who comes to your rescue if you're ever thrown into jail." She said.

"He was wrong, you know." Ric said.

"About what?"

"About the dress. You look beautiful tonight."


End file.
